


Bump On The Road

by MathiasKejseren



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Grey's Anatomy, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen, Hiding Medical Issues, Mpreg, Surgery, on accident, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-02-16
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-13 05:18:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3369248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MathiasKejseren/pseuds/MathiasKejseren
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Culminating from the stress of the light invasion and running the team, Dick ignores his own health and end up putting himself at risk in the long run.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Grief's Blindfold

**Author's Note:**

> I had been watching a lot of Grey's Anatomy and I remembered this episode where this guy thought he was pregnant and actually had an abdominal teratoma. Then there was also an episode on parasitic twins. Those inspired this. If medical crap is your squick don't read. I don't think this needs a trigger but if you've had a massive benign tumor and that really terrifies you then don't read. Flat out don't read if the story just doesn't sound appetizing to you.
> 
> Now the Don't Reads are done. Please leave a kudos or even better a comment! I don't have a beta. I don't write enough for that, so there may be errors. If your comment is just pointing out errors that's fine. That's great actually! I really want that, because I am still learning how to write. Every comment counts. Every kudos counts. Every person counts.

 

It started out as just a bump. A small swell right by his bellybutton. Dick only noticed when he had a split second to look in the mirror. 

He was going to see Zatanna about Artemis's illusion charm. It would make the perfect excuse. It wouldn't be to much of a lie anyway. Everyone gets embarrassed of a little fat.

So he shrugged it off. "I just need to work out a little more. I've been sitting too much. Besides I'm peckish for a little action"

* * *

 

 

He tied Artemis's choker round her neck and slipped a jeweled armband round his bicep. It was mere happenstance that her neck and his arm had the same circumference. Dumb luck. Sweet fortune.

No one knew, besides Zatanna, of the second charm. He asked her to design it so it would fit under his uniform comfortably. One for use and one for disguises.

Obviously the disguise charm wasn't for him. She knew that. She could read him like a book. She didn't care as long as the wearer was safe. An elaborate disguise would do that. But she worried about the second one. Was Dick really that concerned about his looks?

"Oh Dick, what pit have you fallen into now?"

 

* * *

 

 

Artemis was the one wearing her charm. No wonder she was nearly caught. She modeled the design after her. Damn. Note to self, next time wait a year before making a tribute to someone.

_Recognise Artemis B-07 Recognise Miss Martian B-05 Recognise Nightwing B-01_

Sobbing filled the halls. Mostly from Artemis. Some from M'gann. A little from Dick. But it was there.

'Seems like that note has just become more relevant.'

It toke hours for the crying to stop. People were flooding in from their mission. Someone had the bright idea of grabbing every pillow and blanket in the watchtower. Robin or Dick must have stolen Batman's credit card because there was 13 different flavours of ice cream around, the majority chocolate based. That person also had the foresight to buy tissues in bulk.

Everyone ended up sleeping over, helping everyone grieve for the loss of the speedster. Even Batman stayed, holding tightly to his kids though he didn't dare shed a tear in public.

Zatanna fell asleep with the thought of the second charm far far away. She was too preoccupied by her friends' pain and and her own to notice.

 

* * *

 

 

_Bang Bang Bang_

Dick jumped awake, rolled out of bed just like the perfect acrobat he is, and promptly slipped on Chinese takeout and right into a pile of long overdue laundry.

_Bang Bang Bang_

"I'm Coming!"

Dick managed to untangle himself for the dirty clothes and jogged over to the door watching his step. He opened the door to a steaming Zatanna.

"You're quiting?" She pushed herself in.

"I'm not quitting I'm just-" 

"Taking off and leaving?" She paced.

"No, I-"

"Going soul searching? Trying to rebalance yourself?" She slipped.

And he caught her. 

She detached her arm and looked around.

"Moping in your own misery?"

"Zatanna!"

"What! It's been 3 weeks. I know it hurts. I know you feel like drowning. But drowning in beer and fast food isn't going to help! How the hell did you get beer anyway?"

Silence. He wouldn't look her in the eyes.

"Theft. Really?"

"I didn't steal. I left money."

"You still bought alcohol illegally." She kicked around some of the the trash. "With all this crap food and alcohol you should have a ginormous beer belly by now." She froze.

Dick ran a hand over his face to wake himself up more. "Zat, I'm sorry-"

"Wait." She cut him off. "Beer belly..." She looked him in the eye. If he wasn't a bat he would have stepped back from that piercing gazed.

Her eyes studied his form. Same face. Same hair. Same muscled arms and legs. His torso...There!

She yanked up his shirt.

"Hey!" He tried to put her arms down but she fought, her eyes never leaving his chiseled chest.

She let go after a moment.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Are you still wearing my charm?"

This time he did step back.

 

* * *

 

 

He plopped himself back onto the coach in his meager apartment. He dropped his face into his hands and toke a deep breath. And another. She joined him on the coach running soothing circles on his back. He sighed and looked back at her.

"I don't think I have."

They both knew that Zatanna's charm failsafe was to make the person have no bellybutton. It was easy to overlook but easy to spot when you knew what to look for.

"Do you want me to take it off?"

"Please." 

She gently rolled up his sleeve and found the black band. Then her hands rolled around his bicep and latched onto the clip.

They were expecting a little flab. A bit of cushy tissue. Not... Not that.

Dick ran a hand over his abdomen. Zatanna just sat there, silent. Their eyes never leaving the swollen mound.

 

They both sighed at the same time.

"What do we do?" Dick spoke first.

"Are you in any pain?" Zatanna's eyes finally looked away to search his face.

"No."

"Then we schedule a doctor's appointment and go to the Watchtower for a look."

He only nodded dumbly. She patted his arm.

"Come on, let's get you dressed."

 

* * *

 

 

"Where are your sweatpants?!"

"In the dirty laundry."

"Are all your clothes dirty?!"

"Yep."

A loud sigh. She looked back at Dick. He hadn't moved in 30 minutes. He had stopped rubbing the bump, if you could call it that, a couple minutes after it's unveiling. Now he just settled for holding it in his palms.

"You still not in any pain?"

"Nope."

"O~kay. I'm gonna go up to the Watchtower and snag one of those nifty portable ultrasounds. You..." She grabbed her coat that she had discarded 10 minutes in to searching for clean clothes. "You stay there. Here is a phone." She pressed the landline phone into his hand. "If you start feeling pain, you call an ambulance. Then you call me. Understand?"

Silence.

Sigh. Deep breath. "Am I understood, Dick?"

He cracked a small smile. "Crystal, Major"

"Oh thank god!" She made her way to the door. "I'm gonna go. I'll be back in less than an hour. Seriously, use that phone!"

And the door slammed shut.

 


	2. From Where We Can See

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Help, Watchtower, And a first look.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Next chapter!
> 
> Little bit of cussing in this one. Only mild curses though.

 

"What are you doing?"

"Crap" Zatanna said under her breath. "Artemis! How are you?" False smile.

She gave Zatanna that raised eyebrow look that was so common among the bat-family.

Artemis spent the first week after Wally's death crying with his family and helping with the funeral. Then she flung herself into missions, getting hurt a lot more than she should. Of course she would be in the medi-bay. 

"Fine. Just got a hard kick to the stomach. Black Cannery's getting that new ultrasound thing."

"Shit" She muttered.

"Okay. I heard that one. What's up?"

"Nothing!" Too fast. Now she's giving the look and crossing her arm. "Fine..."

"Come into my den and tell momma tiger all~ about it."

They sat down on the sterile bed that they both had seen way to much of.

Zatanna sigh for the 20th time that day and opened her mouth.

 

* * *

 

 

The door slammed open and Black Cannery came in holding the very item she had come for.

"Is everything alright?"

Cannery had such a good mother sense. Sometimes too good.

Then it dawned on Zatanna. "Why am I trying to keep this a secret?" Pause. "I said that out-loud."

"Yep. Now you have to spill."

"Damn."

"It can wait a few minutes. Artemis lay down so I can get the ultrasound over and done with."

Saved by the bell.

"Well, I'm just gonna go..." She stood.

"Nope. You are not leaving. Plus it kinda seems like you need this thingamajig."

Cannery had started running the stick up and down Artemis's chest when she looked up. "Zatanna, are you pregnant?"

"What! NO!"

"Is somebody sick or hurt? Artemis, you're clean and good to go." Artemis wiped the gel gunk of her body and watch Zatanna.

Zatanna didn't answer. She stood there biting her lip and looking down.

Black Cannery lead her back to the bed and held her hands running more soothing circles on them. "Zatanna, what happened?"

Zatanna tucked her tears into Black Cannery's shoulder and spilled.

 

* * *

 

 

After Zatanna had finished the story, they sat there for couple moments digesting the news and letting Zatanna weep her worries out. 

_Ring Ring Don't you want to answer you phone? Somebody answer-_

She picked it up.

"Dick? Are-"

" _I'm not in pain."_

"Then why are you calling?"

_"It's been an hour."_

"Sorry. I was getting help-"

_"Help? Who's there with you?"_

"Artemis and Black Cannery." The mention of their names, they perked up.

"Artemis, let's go prep a gurney." They took off down the hall.

_"I thought you were just getting an ultrasound?"_

"I don't know how to read an ultrasound!"

_"Fine."_

"Dick, we need help."

" _I know..."_

"Dick, your best option is to get up to some sort of medical facility and find out what's wrong. Thankfully we have one of those. Stay where you are. We'll be there in a couple minutes."

_"See you then."_

"You're going to be okay." She hung up.

 

Zatanna ran out to the zeta tubes. Black Cannery and Artemis were already there waiting with a gurney.

They all stepped into the white light together.

 

* * *

 

 

"Where is he?"

"Upstairs most likely still on the coach"

"We are so lucky his apartment is connected to the bunker."

"Batman planned it in case something like this happened."

They found they couldn't get the gurney up the stairs.

"That's gonna need to change." "Yep" "Focus girls"

_Knock knock_

They entered. Dick was still on the couch. He had propped his feet up on the coffee tabled though and had his hands on top of the growth. He looked up at them innocently and vaguely frightened behind black shades.

"Wow. You look like you swallowed a soccer ball."

A plastic fork went flying for Artemis's head.

Cannery came over to Dick and patted his arm then moved it over her shoulder. "Let's get you on your feet and down the stairs."

Zatanna came to Dick's other side and they slowly lifted him from the couch. Artemis moved back down the stairs to prep the zeta portal. The rest of them moved agonisingly slow so as not to fall or put any pressure on his stomach. They finally got down stairs and laid him on the gurney. Dick was panting by that time, unsettling everyone with each rattly breath.

 

* * *

 

 

Thankfully most of Young Justice was out on a complex mission with some Justice leaguers watch over them. The medi-bay was empty, the only person who had been hurt was Artemis and Black Cannery oversaw most injuries. By the time they got into a room, Dick had already caught his breath and was sitting up. Cannery exited and the girls started propping up him up on pillows with the occasional whack to each other.

Black Cannery walked in just as Dick slapped Artemis hard enough to knock her into one of the chairs beside the bed. They all burst out laughing from Artemis's feather coated face.

Cannery cleared her throat.

She came upon the other chair and pushed Dick into the pillows. "Mind rolling up your shirt for me?" He revealed to mass behind his straining shirt, and they all gasped at the spidery stretch marks. "Good, lets take a look now shall we?"

Zatanna grabbed he's hand and squeeze and Artemis did the same with his upper arm.

"Hmm..." They all tensed. "Well, it looks like some sort of tumor." She sighed. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you much more than that."

"Great. What do we do now?" Always the first to speak.

"We head to a hospital and get a doctor's opinion. That's all we can do."

"Can't we just fetch a doctor and have them do the surgery here?"

"Zatanna, This isn't going to be an easy fix. It's going to need surgeons and probably more than one."

"Where do you suggest?" Artemis spoke at last.

"Grey Sloan Memorial Hospital." They waited for her to elaborate. "I went their when I had a pole stuck through my stomach and look" She lifted her shirt to show a thin barely noticeable scar, "Barely a blemish."

"I'm down with that." "I agree."

"Dick?"

He toke a deep breath. 

"Let's get me fixed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And yes I cracked and made this a Grey's Anatomy cross over! I'm disappointed in it's lack of crossovers. I'm fixing that.
> 
> And yes Zatanna has the supernatural ringtone. I feel like she would either love or hate supernatural.


	3. Jo-Jo Yet Another Ultrasound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We meet Jo and Alex and Dick is admitted.

 

Dinah changed out of her costume into her spare civvies and past Oliver's spares to Dick. 

"Aren't I bit small for Ollie's clothes?" She looked him over.

"You want to keep this quiet, don't you? It'd be a big scandal is Richard Grayson walks into some random but well known hospital with a belly the size of a basketball."

"Fine." he shrugged the green jacket over his shoulders and forced it closed.

"Looks like the size could be a bigger actually." Artemis giggled.

"Oh shut up." Dick shoved her playfully.

 

* * *

 

 

"Hello, I'd like to schedule-"

"Dinah?"

Dinah looked over to see a brunette women in scrubs walking over to the nurses' station right beside her.

"Jo! It been a while." They hugged. "How are you?"

"Good! I'm so grateful for-" She paused as a bulky guy also in scrubs came up beside her with a hand on the small of her back. "Oh! This is Alex. My boyfriend" She said with a smile then snapped out of it. "An also the pediatrics attendee here."

They shook hands. "Hi I'm Dinah Lance."

"Her, her husband, and son, Roy are good friends of mine. They helped me all the way through medical school."

"That's great." He gave a smile. "What is it you're here for though?"

Jo turned back to her, "Yeah, this doesn't seem like a personally visit else you would have given me the heads up."

Dinah grimaced. "It's not. A friend- well a friend's son, he's sick. I trust this place. I trust it to keep things quiet."

The pair shared a look. Jo answered. "Do you mind if we take a look?"

Dinah turned back to where Dick was sitting with Artemis and Zatanna. "Sure."

 

* * *

 

 

The Doctors lead the party to a private exam room. They asked Zatanna and Artemis to wait outside. Jo grabbed a tablet to start a chart and Karev started talking to Dick.

"Hi, I'm doctor Karev. What's your name?"

"Dick."

"Am I going to get a last name?"

Dick looked to Dinah. She nodded.

"Grayson."

"Dick, how old are you?" Wilson asked.

"17."

"Can you tell us where it hurts?"

"It doesn't hurt."

"What's making you sick then?"

Dick looked again to Dinah and she nodded again.

Dick unzipped the jacket and prided it open showing his stomach.

"Good god." 

Dick head snapped up nearly revealing wet eyes behind his shades. Karev glared at Wilson.

"Wilson go order an ultrasound." She rushed out. "Dick I need you to lie down. I'm going to feel around your abdomen to see what's there. I need you to tell me if you feel any pain." Dick nodded and clung to Dinah's hand.

 

After a couple minutes of poking and prodding, Dr. Karev determined that Dick was stable for now and Wilson returned with the ultrasound.

_Beep Beep_

"That's my pager. Hey Wilson you can run the ultrasound, right?"

"Yep." He darted out and Jo turned to Dick getting the ultrasound set. "Have you ever had an ultrasound done before?"

"Yes."

"You're Nightwing, right?" she said her eyes never leaving the screen.

Dick's head whipped around to Dinah's.

"She grew up with Roy and helps out in the medi-bay when she can. I'm surprised you've never met."

Dick looked back at the resident.

"Yep. I just haven't been up very much. Too busy here." Her eyes narrowed at the screen. "I'm gonna page Dr. Karev back, wait here." 

Artemis and Zatanna stalked back in after she left.

"So what's the news?"

"Same stuff we already knew, but they got a better look at the ultrasound and she left to get another consult."

The two twirled their thumbs. Then Black Cannery toke control.

"You two will head back to the Watchtower to wait for Batman, Robin and Batgirl. You will only inform them and only bring those three here. Understand?"

"Understood!" They chorused.

But Dick objected.

"I know this is embarrassing for you, but they are your family."

"I'm emancipated! I don't need to let them know."

"No you don't, but Batman is going to find out sometime. I think he'd rather find out before you go into surgery."

Silence.

"...fine."

Black Cannery looked up at the other two.

"Go."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm getting tired of the word Ultrasound. It needs a synonym.


	4. Tell Me Something I Don't Know

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diagnosis

"Alex!"

"Wilson, we are in the middle of a consult. What is so dire?" Pierce snapped.

"Dr. Karev, the kid in Exam Room 204, Dick-"

"Oh god, don't tell me it ruptured. I'm sorry Dr. Pierce, I need to take care of this." He said making his way to the door.

"No! No, nothing has changed. It's just..."

"Spit it out Wilson."

"The mass has hair and I think fingernails." She said grossed out.

"Abdominal Teratoma? Great. Page Grey for a consult and order a CT."

Wilson saluted and left.

"Anyway, I can get in on that?" 

He looked back at the screens. "No, the kid wanted it as private as possible. Rather not have the whole hospital in an uproar."

"Fine."

 

* * *

 

 

_Knock Knock_

"Hey," Wilson entered, "How we doing in here? You're friends are gone."

"Fine. They went up to get my family."

"You're medically emancipated though, right?"

"Yep. I live on my own, by my own rules."

"Just checking."

Black Cannery cut in. "Is everything alright?"

"It looks like Dick has a large tumor in his stomach. Are you having any shortness of breath or tightness in your chest?"

"I had a hard time breathing when we were coming down the stairs earlier today, but not anymore."

"I forgot to ask but when did you first notice the growth?"

"I had seen it a couple months ago, then I asked Zatanna, the black haired chick, for an illusion charm to cover it up. I didn't take it off until today and... god, that was a shock." Dinah squeezed his hand.

"Well, We are going to get you a CT so we can start working on a plan to get the tumor out." She gave him a little smile.

And he smiled back.

 

* * *

 

 

"You paged me, Wilson?" Dr. Grey said walking into the CT booth.

"Yep. 17 year old emancipated male with a large abdominal teratoma. His name is Dick." She said looking away from the screen.

Dr. Grey leaned into the mic. "Hi Dick, My name is Dr. Grey. I need you to hold still as we put you through the machine."

A female voice rang out in the other room. Dick replied "Will do, Dr. Grey."

The table Dick was lying on began to move under the machine and images appeared on the screen.

"Oh god, this thing is huge. It's a miracle it hasn't ruptured yet."

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch." Said Karev walking in, "What to we have here? Damn." Karev left the room and slipped on the lead jacket to go inside.

 

Dick's table was sliding back when the door opened. 

"Hey Dick, I just want to check the reflexes in your legs. Can you wiggle your toes for me?"

They wiggled.

"Good, Now lift your legs?"

He lifted them straight up nearly whacking Dr. Karev in the head.

"Sorry."

"No that's a good sign."

"You guys were worried about nerve damage?"

"We were worried that the mass might have been suppressing your spine." He said helping Dick up into a wheelchair.

"I can walk."

"You don't need to be straining yourself. Let's get you settled into your room. Dinah's already there waiting for you."

They rolled in silence for a moment. 

"Am I gonna be okay?"

Karev stopped the wheelchair for a second.

"You're in the most capable hands. All you need to do is stay in bed and relax."

And continued on.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I decided Abdominal Teratoma! And Yes this is in season 11, but I'm not adding any major spoilers. All you need to know is Dr. Pierce is the head of cardio. We probably won't see her again partly because she's new and I don't know her very well. And on part that it toke me forever to figure out how to spell her name.
> 
> And again please comment or leave kudos. They make me happy. And OH MY GOD TELL ME IF THERE ARE ERRORS!!! I hate getting things wrong, if you spot one make a list of errors as your comment. I would love that!


	5. Daddy-bat's Rampage

 

There was yelling in the hallway. And banging

_Crash!_

Dick's eyes popped open. He had been taking a nap on his not-so-confortable bed, but it was better than the couch at the ...apartment. The apartment is never going to be home. It's to public. Too temporary. He could get kicked out for the slightest step out of line. Not that he would cross the line on purpose, but suddenly not being in your apartment when you spent the last 3 weeks not leaving it could be crossing the line.

" **Let Me-** "

_Crash!_

Dick sat up. 'That voice-Bruce!'

_Bang!_

"What the hell does he think he's doing?" Dick rolled out of the bed more unsteady than usual but smooth to any untrained eye. He stalked over to the door and peered out onto the scene.

Bruce was in his Batman civvies. That consisted of the trade mark black shades a pair of sweatpants, a stained tank top and a beat up jacket if it was cold. Bruce Wayne would never be caught dead wearing anything less than designer never mind hand-me-downs. It made a good cover and a good disguise for when he's severely pissed off. Just like now.

Zatanna and Artemis must have never gotten to finish the story. They probably never got past "Nightwing's in the hospital." So here was Bruce, worried and freaked out, screaming for his son and knocking over any personnel that didn't have a answer.

Dick counted to ten.

One... two... three...

_Bang_

Four... Five... Six...

_Crash!_

Seven... Eight... NINE...

_Slap!_

Ten.

"Matches! What the Hell do you thick you are doing!?"

Saved by the cannery.

"This is a hospital! Everyone here is either sick and TRYING to recover or working THEIR ASS OFF to help everyone do so! If you are going to come in here and scream do it somewhere else. They don't need to hear it. I don't need to hear it. And Dick Certainly doesn't need to hear it!"

Bruce ducked his head at her lecture studying the floor for dirt.

"Apologize."

Bruce looked up to study the people around him. None of the nurses were hurt. Only the men who had tried to restrain him had a couple bruises the worst of which a black eye from an elbow to the nose.

"I am deeply sorry for my actions." He said calmly.

"I should hope so." Someone spoke behind him. He whipped around to see a ginger man with a military look to him saunter down the hallway. "I have every right to escort you from these premises but... I won't. You are a worried father looking for your child. What is his or her name?"

"Dick."

Nobody dared to laugh.

"Dick's in 301 with me Matches." Dinah tugged on his arm and Bruce followed.

 

Dick toke that as he que to get back in bed. He just nestled under the covers with the door opened.

The first thing out of Bruce's mouth was "You heard."

"You weren't exactly quiet." Dick snapped and dove deeper into the covers.

"Dick, are you-"

Dick's head shot out, "In any pain? No, I am not, thank you. I will tell you if I am." He said curtly.

Then the door slammed open and Tim ran in.

"Dick are you in any pain?"

And he screamed. 

And Tim ran back out.

"That was rude."

"I don't care. I'm sick of that question. The only people allowed to ask me that question are doctors and nurses."

The door squeaked open cautiously.

"Dick?"

"Come on in Barbara."

She stepped in wearing the blue P!INK tracksuit she loves. She wears that thing so often that she learned how to sew so as not to buy a new one.

"Everything okay? I think you scared Timmy pretty badly."

Dick sighed from under the covers and mumbled.

"I'm sorry. I didn't catch that."

"I said, Can you tell him sorry? and that I'm fine."

"Will do." And she plopped down onto the edge of the bed. "As soon as you tell me what's wrong."

He sighed again.

"Come on" She pulled at the covers."You big mopey dog."

"No."

"Come on!"

"No!"

"I'm gonna tickle you."

"No you won't."

"Yes I will!"

"I'm sick though!" He was starting to crack a smile.

"Here I come!" And her hands dug into the covers and reached.

He squirmed in her arms crying out and laughing. Then the laughing turned to wheezing. Bruce ran out to get a nurse. Babs lowered Dick down to the mattress and helped him into a resting position. Dr. Wilson rushed in strapping an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.

"That's it Dick. Just breath. You're Okay. You're going to be fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last one of the night and thus more prone to errors. Lilatov.


	6. Heart To Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEY Guys, I did a bit more research and guess what. NONE OF THIS IS MEDICALLY ACCURATE. That bugs me a lot but it doesn't mean I'm going to stop. It just means that you guys need to take this all with several grains of salt.
> 
> It's also a bit short and a bit of a filler. Sorry.

 

Dick's breathing leveled out pretty quickly. Bruce was guarding the door. Babs was holding his hand and rubbing his back. As soon as Wilson had the mask over his face she was prying of the sheets.

Her fast hands were running over the flesh feeling for any changes since earlier. Bruce and Babs's eyes were stuck to his stomach. It didn't look any different from before. Still a grossly enlarged mound stretching his skin all most to its limit.

"Dick, are you feeling any pain?"

He breathed out a no. And swished his legs for good measure. Then gave everyone a cheeky smile.

The unknowing pair didn't stop staring.

Dick squeezed Babs's hand and brought it up to his face.

"Hey," He stage whispered, "My face is up here."

And she broke. She laughed and cried at the same time. The shock of everything was collapsing down on her. She was now clinging to his hand as she wept and he was rubbing circles on her back. He was now whispering to her that "Everything was going to be okay," and, "Just let it out." Her crys seemed to snap Bruce out of his daze. He crawled over and swept the two of them in his arms the best he could manage.

Wilson gave them a pat on the shoulder and left saying "Don't strain yourself, I'm going to order a nasal cannula."

Tim peeped out from the edge of the open door, watching them wearily.

"Come on Timmy! Join our cuddle bundle!" Dick beckoned.

Tim didn't waste a second and jumped right in.

 

* * *

 

_Knock Knock_

"Hey" Wilson whispered and opened the door. She shut it behind her as she crept in. The kids were sleeping, cuddled up in the bed with Dick in the center. Batman had been dozing in the nearby chair when she came in.

He's eyes opened quickly and he rose. He towered over her and this cold blank face while looking down at her. She couldn't see his eyes but if she did she was sure they would be just a stony. 

"Is something the matter?" He said with control coming of him in waves. She clutched the tablet harder.

"No. I was just coming to check and see if things are alright." She couldn't meet his eyes, or sunglasses in this case.

"He's fine for now. Just sleeping." His gaze drifted towards the bed. She visibly relaxed.

"Good, I'll..."

"Check again in an hour?"

"Precisely."

"Good," She moved towards the door, "And Dr. Wilson?"

She paused with her hand on the handle.

"Yes?"

He looked back at her.

"I hope you forgive my earlier behavior. It was shameful of me to be so irrational."

"I do. It's not the worst reaction we've had." 

The door swung shut behind her.

"Maybe I should help with that..." He pondered as he sat back down again and gave a tight squeeze to his little boy's leg.

 


End file.
